124: Why Design Matters in Branding (with Charli Prangley)

There is often a confusion with the term “branding”. Many people often think a brand is what something looks like, how it’s made or presented. People often equate “design” and “brand”, even though it’s only part of the picture.

All that being said, design is an essential ingredient of a memorable brand, and the best cakes require the best ingredients (yes, I used a cake metaphor.)

Charli Prangley is a web and graphic designer who is passionate about helping designers do their best work. She currently works for ConvertKit, an email marketing service for creators who want to make a living. She’s built a massive audience on YouTube, where she makes quality videos about design.

Charli joins me on the show today to talk about how design and branding work together. We’ll also talk about when to invest in design for your business, when to hire out, and how to communicate your brand values through design.

Highlights, Takeaways, Quick Wins:

Design is a visual way that you represent your brand. Design is a part of branding, rather than the other way around.

Design is how you communicate your brand to the rest of the world.

Get started with some of the visual aspects before you hire a professional, so you can start to learn more about what your brand is and won’t waste money too early.

Write out a list of adjectives you want to come to mind when someone looks at a visual piece of your brand.

Ask others to describe what they see when they see the visual representations of your brand, and see what adjectives they use.

If you can’t hire a professional yet, you can get a quick win by finding a font and a color palette that align with what you want your brand to look and feel like.

Don’t overcomplicate the visual side of things too quickly. Pick something and be consistent.

Research color theory and learn the basics of fonts because they can communicate different things.

A good designer should be able to design for any brand, even if they have a niche that they specialize in.